The Topcon Story: Topcon Enigma

[hilltime]

Has anyone ever seen this book from the late 90's by Marco Antonetto and Claudio Russo? Was it ever published in English? It seems it must be long out of print and totally unavailable?

Anyone ever lucky enough to have purchased a copy? I'm surprised there never has been any update as I'm sure some facts may have come to light after all these years. Maybe there just isn't that much interest in this company, which in my mind rivals the best of the late 50's and early 60's.

Gary Hill

 

[agfa100]

Never saw the book but one tidbit of useless information was back in the 60's and 70's with all the antiwar protest's here in Wash DC you could always tell the FBI or other police as they were the only ones you would see with a Topcon Super D with that big chrome 200 mm lens they made taking pictures of the protesters with their white socks and black shoes trying to be undercover.

 

[steveyork]

Long time ago I had a copy of the book when I had a budding collection of early Topcon SLRs. Really well made stuff, with great viewfinders, and the Topcor lenses, even early ones, are excellent. Don't remember much about the book. Rare as I recall. All that stuff, including the book, hit that big auction site when my interest waned.

 

[kangaroo2012]

I lived in Baltimore in the 60s and 70s and was in Washington for the big anti war protest.
My camera was a Topcon Super D and I was NOT FBI or CIA. I watched the white socks brigade photographing protesters but I was not photographed. My jeans and T shirt should have given me away. I had been drafted but was told I was too old, Ha, I was 26 and had a red beard. What more could they have wanted?
Kangaroo 2012

 

[kangaroo2012]

An afterthought. Topcon made the first 300mm lens, before Nikon and is the main reason the cameras were bought by the US Navy and other departments.
I still have my Topcons and photos are excellent, as good as the Nikons I moved to when I returned to Australia. Topcon is still in business as a maker of survey equipment and ophthalmological equipment.

 

[Freakscene]

The book is not unobtainable, but like a lot of out of press things can be expensive. For example:
https://www.wesellyourcollection.com/topcon/product/01-topcon-story-topcon-enigma-book/

Marty

 

[hilltime]

Caught the Topcon bug when I first purchased a fixed lens 4.4CM/F2 35-L rangefinder camera which I used extensively on a trip to CA. Great images from that lens which spurred me on to acquire the full gamut of Topcor lenses, made primarily for the Leotax line-up of interchangeable lens rangefinders. I acquired by luck, a 5cm/F1.5 Topcor, which I used for a bit, but resold after I had acquired a 5CM/F2 which I found very similar and made a nice profit on the F/1.5. Eventually through the next 10 years, I have accumulated the 35/F2.8, the 135/3.5, and most recently the 90/F3.5. Oh, and along the way stubbled upon a 5CM/F2.8 which is probably the rarest of all.

Have a nice RE Super and a few lenses but value the Topcors for LTM even more.
Such great products but very little information about the company other than the short synopsis on Camerapedia. Maybe this topic is just a dead end street after so many years since they went out of the camera business. You would think that the current Topcon company would be interested in their historical background, but doesn't seem terribly so? I guess that's why I was a History major in college!

Gary Hill

 

[Lightshow]

I do have the book in English, I've been tempted to scan it since it's been out of print for so long.
I bought mine from Peterloy.com in 2014. for £19 + £13 shipping & handling.
I do search for a PDF version from time to time.
If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

I am a bit of a Topcor fan....
I have the 3.5cm/2.8, 5cm/2, and 9cm/3.5 in LTM.
I also have the 3.5cm/2.8 and 5.8cm/1.8 "Autokinon" lenses, the ones with arms.
I have these Topcor R lenses: 9cm/3.5(same optics as the LTM), 13.5cm/3.5, 20cm/4, & 30cm/5.6(the only real disappointing topcon lens I own).
The RE's I own: in black... 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 58/3.5 Macro, 58/1.8, 58/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.8, I also have the 58/1.8 in silver.
There is a few lenses I still don't yet own, the 50/1.8 & 13.5cm in LTM, R 13.5cm/2 and the R 30cm/2.8, the RE 25/3.5(I am looking for the rare black version), RE 135/3.5, RE 200/3.5, RE 300/5.6, & RE 500/5.6 (all in black) and to my knowledge, there is no black 20/4, so it isn't on my to-get list
The rest I'm not really interested in.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Topcon is still in business but stopped making cameras years ago.
There's little information on Topcon cameras on The Web.

I own a Topcon Super DM with motor and a couple nice Topcor lenses.

I have a non-working Topcon JL fixed-lens rangefinder 35 camera.
Any suggestions for someone to repair this one?

Chris

 

[CameraQuest]

Has anyone ever seen this book from the late 90's by Marco Antonetto and Claudio Russo? Was it ever published in English? It seems it must be long out of print and totally unavailable?

Anyone ever lucky enough to have purchased a copy? I'm surprised there never has been any update as I'm sure some facts may have come to light after all these years. Maybe there just isn't that much interest in this company, which in my mind rivals the best of the late 50's and early 60's.

Gary Hill

Yep, it was published in English

Well made dependable versatile Super D series, great lenses,
but killed by the limited poorly chosen small throat Exakta lens mount.

Stephen